Coward
by GiLaw
Summary: Nova's memories of her past with Mandarin come back to haunt her through terrifying nightmares. Will Nova be able to overcome her fear and stand up to Mandarin? And what does Sparx know about the mysterious figure that saved her that one night? You'll have to read MISSsweety63's "When Love and Fear Mix" to understand this!
1. Chapter 1

**HELLOOOOOOOOOO!**

**OMG, GUYS I HAVEN'T BEEN TO YOU IN SO LONG! CURSE THE WRITER'S BLOCK!**

**Also, SoLow hogged the computer. -_-**

**SoLow: FOR SCHOOL WORK!**

**Me: It's not back to school time until next week. God, you're nerdy!**

**SoLow: College is different from school!**

**Me: AS LONG AS THERE'S SPARKY EDUCATION INVOLVED, I DON'T SEE THE SPARKY DIFFERENCE!**

**KFee: And she's still swearing like that**

**Me: WHATEVER! Anyway, I just wanna make a few notes about this before we get started. You HAVE to read MISSsweety63's "When Love and Fear Mix" otherwise this won't make sense. So go on . . . DO IT!**

_**One Reading of "When Love and Fear Mix" Later (that is if you haven't read it already) . . .**_

**Me: YAY! NOW LET'S GET THIS SPARKY DONE!**

**Chapter 1**

**Nightmares, Nightmares, Nightmares**

_"NO!" Nova screamed._

_Frantically, she tried to climb to her feet. But they were too fragile to support her frail body which flopped the second she straightened her knees._

_Above her, an all-too strong Mandarin laughed his manacial monkey laugh. "Had enough?"_

_Physically drained, mentally tortured, Nova tried one last time to raise her fist. She might as well have offered Mandarin her arm which he grabbed and used to hurl her around and send her flying, crashing hard into the black concrete wall of the abandoned castle._

_She opened her mouth to beg for mercy but Mandarin grabbed her neck and whammed her against the wall again, squeezing the air out of her lungs like juice out of an orange. She gagged and spluttered for breath but he only shook her violently, yelling "Shut up!" before finally dropping her._

_As Nova collapsed to the ground, Mandarin chuckled at her misfortune, his grin growing wider every time she gasped for breath._

_"Enjoying your last breaths, are you dear Nova?"_

_"Mandarin, please . . ."_

_"Silence, weakling!" he snapped, stomping onto her now helpless figure. "You're a coward, you know that?"_

_Nova shook her head, desperate to soften him. "No . . . NOOOO!"_

_"A COWARD!" Mandarin spat. "Nothing more than a useless, helpless, cowardly little female . . ."_

_"MANDARIN!" Nova wailed, tears of hopelessness streaming down her face._

_But her despair only made Mandarin laugh more and step on her harder. "You even cry! So pathetic! How the others managed to put up with you, I will never know . . ."_

_She attempted to open her mouth again but one swipe of Mandarin's sword was enough to keep her silent. "Don't waste my time."_

_All she could do now was listen to his torturous insults as they both prepared themselves for the kill._

_Mandarin smile evilly and raised his sword. "I should have done this a long time ago. The Hyper Force doesn't deserve such a useless female like you . . ."_

_Nova scrunched up her eyes and inhaled her final breath._

_"So long . . . COWARD!"_

_Mandarin burst into another fit of hideous laughter as he aimed his sword towards her chest. Nova opened her mouth to scream but nothing but an almost silent gasp came out. She would be dead in a matter of moments . . ._

_The sword impaled her chest, Mandarin's laughter and the word "coward" ringing in her ears . . ._

The sword suddenly feld less sharp, more like a hand (two of them actually) and had stabbed- no, grabbed her shoulders. She could no longer hear Mandarin's laughter in her ears but Sparx's yells for her to wake up . . .

"Nova, come on! WAKE UP!"

Nova finally snapped out of it and jerked awake, taking a moment to remember where she was: the safety of her own bedroom. Yet she still couldn't understand what had just happened. Her body was covered in a cold sweat.

"Wha- I-" she stammed in confused fear. "Sparx, I-"

Sparx was already cradling her.

"I know," he whispered. "I know."

Nova blinked, more dumbstruck than ever. All she could remember was the word "coward". Shaken by the nightmare she just experienced, she threw her arms around Sparx and scrunched up every muscle her body could manage.

"Did she have another nightmare?" Gibson's voice was slightly more concerned than usual.

Sparx looked up, his black eyes grim. "Yeah."

Gibson frowned at this.

"What are we supposed to do, Gibson? This is the sixth night in a row now!" Sparx ranted. "The kid said that they should have just gone away by the second or third day and now it's day six! We're in the middle of a stinkin' war and Nova's been more traumatized than ever!"

"Sparx." The blue scientist was struggling to stay patient. "Calm down . . ."

"Is that all you've got?" Sparx snapped, squeezing Nova tighter with every word he spoke. "C'mon, Brainstrain! The one time when I ask ya to come up with somthing useful and you can't even understand what's going on!"

Before Gibson could protest, Sparx interrupted again. "Nova's scarred for a monkey's sake! She freaking TRAUMATIZED! By something I did to her!"

Nova looked up at him at this. "Sparx . . ."

"I know, I know," the red simian sighed. "I'm freaking the blazes out here."

"Sparx, don't start," Nova whimpered. "It's not your fault."

"How do I know you're not just saying that to comfort me, Nova?"

Nova gazed into his eyes. "Would I lie to you?"

That softened the red simian enough to calm down a little but not fully.

"Nova, why do you keep having these nightmares? Is it something to do with me? Because I wanna try and make it better. I need to know."

She cringed at the thought. "I . . . can't."

"Nova, please," begged Sparx.

The golden simian cringed again before tears began pouring out. "It's nothing to do with you, Sparx! But I can't tell! It's too scary to think about!"

Nova was really crying now, unable to stop the tears forming. Sparx embraced her but it had little to no affect on her. Desperate to find an answer, he looked up at Gibson, pleading him to do something.

Gibson knew when he was beaten. "Very well. I'll see what I can do."

**OH MY SPARKY GOD, I JUST NEEDED TO WRITE THAT!**

**NConn: And why's that?**

**Me: BECAUSE MY SUGAR RUSH WENT WRONG!**

**KFee: Is it because SoLow hogged the computer? Or because the dentist numbed you so bad you couldn't go on a sugar rush for the next 4 hours?**

**Me: NO! IT'S BECAUSE MOJOS ARE STUPID!**

**KFee: O.O**

**NConn: O.O**

**SoLow: *facepalm* We seriously need to lure GiLaw off of YouTube**

**Please Read and Review and check out my other stories and until next time- I NEED TO CRY LIKE A HIGH-PITCHED SIX YEAR OLD- MOM, I NEVER WANNA WATCH A TOP 10 AGAAAAAAAAAAIN! D'X**

**(Seriously though, Spova is that underrated -_-)**


	2. Chapter 2

**WAZUP MY FAVOURITE PEOPLE? HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN? HAPPY 10TH ANNIVERSARY FOR SUPER ROBOT MONKEY TEAM HYPER FORCE GO!**

**SoLow: Can we go now?**

**Me: Shut up, SoLow! You ALWAYS have to ruin a sweet moment! ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS! *Pauses* Always . . . *mischievous chuckle***

**SoLow: Should I be worried?**

**Me: Nooo, not at all! *pulls out apple* Here! You look hungry, sis!**

**SoLow: No thanks! I never trust you! *grabs a different "apple"* ESPECIALLY when you're on a sugar rush and Spova shipping *takes a bite from "apple"***

**Me: Okay then! *mischievous chuckle* LET'S DO THIS SPARKY!**

**Chapter 2**

**Answers**

Gibson stood at his computer, typing away like mad. Behind him, Nova sat on the med table, fidgeting around with her fingers in a nervous manner. Noticing this, Sparx stepped up to her and placed a hand on her arm.

"You okay?"

Nova glanced at him and put on the bravest smile she could manage. "Yeah, I'm fine," she lied.

Sparx did not looked convinced. Nevertheless he jumped onto the med table beside her, just as Gibson turned around and picked up a pen and notepad.

"So Nova . . . I understand these nightmares have been happening for quite a while, right?"

Nova nodded quickly and rubbed her eyes, feeling tired already. She just wanted to get it over and done with and go back to bed.

Gibson however had other plans. He was writing some stuff into his notepad, looking very serious. "And what exactly happens in these nightmares?"

The yellow monkey had to muster up all her remaining courage to keep herself from shuddering. If either Sparx or Gibson learned that her dreams were about Mandarin abusing her and calling her a coward, it would surely ruin her tough-warrior appearance. "Gibson, I really don't wanna talk about it."

"I know, Nova," said Gibson. "But it's exteremly important. If you tell me, we might be able to solve the route of the problem."

But Nova simply would not confess. "I-it's nothing serious."

Sparx stared at her. "You call freaking out for six nights in a row nothing serious?"

"Well . . ." Nova thought for a moment. "I mean the nightmares are bad and all . . . but I'm sure they'll wear off, right?"

It was a pretty stupid answer. The three of them knew perfectly well that these nightmares probably wouldn't be going away any time soon.

"Nova, I insist you tell me what is happening in your nightmares." Gibson was trying not to lose his patience. "The sooner you tell me, the sooner I can come up with a conclucsion, or even a diagnosis."

"Um . . ." Nova hesitated, the word "coward" beginning to ring in her ears. "Iiiiit's just . . . fear of losing the war and all."

Sparx looked like he wanted to smash the nearest object to him. Gibson lowered his eyebrows but wrote down something in his notepad anyway. "Hmm . . ." He read over his notes for a moment before looking up. "And how has your fighting been lately?"

"Huh?"

"Has your fighting been affected by your nightmares?" asked Gibson.

Nova sighed and rubbed her eyes again. "I don't know . . ."

"May I see? In training?"

She groaned. "Can't we just give it a rest, Gibson? I wanna go back to sleep."

"I know," said Gibson a little sternly. "But this will only be a while. I need to see you in training and take some notes."

"Why can't we do it in the morning?" moaned Nova.

"Because I have to do it when we have the time. With arch-enemies out there, we never know when one will strike. I promise to make it easy," said Gibson.

Sparx put an arm around Nova's shoulder. "C'mon Nova. You have to."

Nova groaned again but jumped off the med table. "Fine. The sooner we do ths, the sooner we go back to sleep," she muttered, heading into the training room, closely followed by Sparx and Gibson.

_"You fool! You think you can impress me? You're useless, that's what you are!"_

Nova froze and shuddered, scrunching up her eyes and clutching her head.

"Whoa! You okay?" Sparx looked ready to catch her in case she fainted. He then turned to Gibson. "I don't know about this, Brainstrain, she looks real bad."

"I'm fine!" Nova interrupted quickly. "I just got a bit of a headache. Once I get in that training room, I'll be smashin' em all!" she added, smacking her fists in hope of looking intimidating.

Before Sparx and Gibson could respond, she raced inside the training hall. "Let's do this!" Already, she could feel the sweat running down her forehead.

Gibson didn't waste any time in setting the training level to level 4, causing many crazy weapons to appear from the walls surrounding Nova who quickly turned her shaky metal hands into powerful fighting fists and began to fight. She just wanted to get it over with as soon as possible.

As Nova effortlessly destroyed the obstacles, Gibson nodded and turned the training level up to level 6. More weapons appeared from the walls. A claw swiped out from behind Nova's back and swiped her down before she could turn around, knocking her to the ground.

"Gibson, please! I can't do this!" she cried.

"No, you're fine," said Gibson. "Keep going."

_"Stop with your pathetic cries and GET UP you useless female!"_

Next thing, the room went dark. Nova blinked in fright, trying to remember where she was: the training room.

"Gibson, c'mon! She's exhausted! Turn it down a little!" Sparx demanded.

"I can't, Sparx. It's the only way to get answers. I can't take any risks or take a safer option," the blue simian replied.

"Well think of one! I thought you were meant to be SMART!" Frustrated, Sparx slapped Gibson hard in the back. Gibson's body jerked forward and his hand which was holding the slot for the training level control slipped, bringing it to level 10.

Just as Nova was woozily climbing to her feet, she felt a sharp pain strike her back before an explosion sent her flying and crashing into a wall. Looking up, she realised that every singly crazy weapon was onto her, too much for her to handle- and that she was cornered.

"GIBSON!"

Sparx and Gibson glanced down, only to notice what had just happened.

"Oh drat!" Gibson excaimed, going to turn down the lable. But the slot was stuck.

"NOVA!" Sparx was about to run to her rescue but Gibson caught his arm and hauled him back.

"We can't afford to have the two of you injured! Stay here and try and help me fix this!" he ordered.

Sparx opened his mouth to protest but he had to admit that Gibson was right.

"HELP ME!" Nova screamed.

"Hang in thre, Nova! The slot's stuck!" Sparx yelled, grabbing the slot with Gibson and trying to lower it.

Nova curled up, trying to stay alive but the weapons were too much for her. She suddenly found herself hallucinating again and this time she couldn't help it . . .

_Mandarin laughed his manacial monkey laugh as another weapon struck her hard. Nova just let out a groan and scrunched herself, preparing for the final blow . . ._

_And Mandarin turned off the training weapons, making them disappear back into the walls before approaching her in a menacing manner. Nova cringed and cowered away from him but she was trapped between him and the wall. Even if she wasn't stuck, she still wouldn't be able to move._

_"Get up! NOW!" Mandarin demanded._

_Nova tried to climb to her feet but she just couldn't bring herself to do so. Whether it was because she was too sore, too weak or too scared, her feet would not support her._

_"Just as I thought," Mandarin, spat, unamused. "Well, we're going have to do something about this, aren't we?"_

_"Please, stop!" she wailed._

_Mandarin tutted. "There you go again! Always whining, and bgging and being a complete weakling! How you even made it on this team, I'll never know! What I do know is that we deserve better than a coward like YOU!"_

_"No . . . don't!" _

_Mandarin grabbed her by the shoulders, startling the yellow monkey enough to make her start thrashing ain his grip and scream for mercy._

_"NOOOO! STOP! STOOOOP!"_

_Mandarin just chuckled. "I have just a solution to this problem."_

_As if on queue, a Formless appeared out of nowhere, carrying a razor sharp sword in it's claws. Nova's eyes widened in horror as she realised what it was going to do._

_"NO! MANDARIN, PLEASE! DON'T DO IT! NOOOOO!"_

_"Useless beings like you don't deserve to live," Mandarin said in an evil tone. "They're just a waste of space and time. All they do is live in fear . . ."_

_Nova let out the biggest scream her lungs could manage, tears of desperation beginning to stream down her face, her body doing everything in it's remaining power to try and break free from his grip. But he was just way too strong . . ._

_The Formless raised it's sword . . ._

_Nova let out one last scream . . ._

_And she felt the sword stab her neck . . ._

_Nova let out a wail of pain before the wooziness began to kick in. Mandarin roared with laughter as her legs flopped and her body collapsed. Her eyes began to feel too heavy to stay open . . ._

_Mandarin grinned a victorious grin. "Nothing but a coward . . ." he smirked just as Nova closed her eyes and passed out . . ._

Sparx took a deep breath before putting Nova down, his face drenched with sweat. In front of him, Gibson sighed and lowered the tranquiliser.

"You did well Sparx," he murmured, putting a comforting arm on his brother's shoulder.

Sparx was in complete and utter shock. "I've never seen her go that . . . mental before."

"Me neither," said Gibson. "But least I have an answer to this."

"Huh?"

"She called you Mandarin while you were holding her in place," explained Gibson. "Therefore Mandarin must have something to do with these nightmares Nova's been having lately . . ."

**And I'm gonna leave it at that! Poor poor Nova :'(**

**SoLow: *Finishing "apple"* Why am I not surprised? You ALWAYS have to . . . *freezes***

**Me: Something, wrong Solow? *evil grin***

**SoLow: *clutches throat and coughs frantically***

**Me: HA! I OWN YOU, SOLOW! WHO KNEW THAT KEEPING MANCHINEEL FRUIT AROUND THE HOUSE COULD BE SO HANDY?**

**SoLow: *GAG!* *GAG!***

**Me: I could get used to this . . .**

**Please Read and Review and check out my other stories and until next time- I wonder if I could trick SoLow into eating something worse . . . Now that I think of it, she DOES look pretty lifeless *mischievous chuckle***


	3. Chapter 3

**No . . . *mental laughter* No . . . COME ON, MOVIE! You can't be- NO, DON'T CRACK HIS FACESHIELD! AND THE BLADED FOOTWEAR AND THE FLAGPOLE- WHYYYYYYY? *throws a tantrum***

**SoLow: WHAT DID I TELL YA? I TOLD YOU EVERYONE WOULD FORGET THAT STUPID MONKEY SHOW! DIDN'T I?!**

**KFee: Interstellar, we thank you! Thank you so very very much for reminding GiLaw that this would eventually happen!**

**Me: WHY, INTERSTELLAR? ALL THE SRMTHFG AND WORMHOLE REFERENCES! IT WAS THE 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY AND ALL! WHY THE ACTUAL SPARKY, INTERSTELLAR?!**

**SoLow: Can KFee and I celebrate now?**

**Me: NO! I'm gonna update "Coward" right now! And after that, I'm gonna find a way to seek revenge!**

**SoLow: Revenge?**

**Me: REVENGE! SPARKY REVENGE I TELL YA!**

**SoLow: I don't like the way you say that word "Revenge" . . . O.O**

**Me: NGYAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-**

**Chapter 3**

**An Anger Explosion**

Nova only just had enough energy to open her eyes. Yet even as she did so, a blinding light still filled her eyes. For a moment, she had to scrunch them up to understand what was going on. Her even weaker lips manged to moan out a slurry "Where am I?"

Her vision was as blurry as it was it was bright. Next thing, she saw a blurry figure approach her, a blue one. Although she knew perfectly well who it was, her bright blurry vision made her unsure.

Nova suddenly jerked up and immediately felt a sharp pain in the back of her neck. Her body was already covered in plasters and bandages to cover the cuts and brusies she had earned in training. But her neck felt the worst like someone was digging a needle in back there. Wincing, she clutched it in pain.

"Nova, sit back down," ordered Gibson, pushing her back down. "Your injuries are serious. You must rest if they have any hope of healing them."

The yellow simian nodded weakly, and glanced around her. She was . . . covered in blanlets, lying on a table in the med bay? But . . .

"I thought Mandarin-"

"Mandarin is the least of your worries right now," Gibson interrupted quickly. "Right now it would really be helpful if you just lay down and stayed still . . ."

Nova sighed, knowing that Gibson knew what was best for her. As she slid back down, trying not to cringe at the pain throbbing in her body, she caught sight of Sparx standing at the corner, watching her like a hawk. Yet she couldn't help noticing that he was keeping his distance from her, and hadn't said a word since she woke up.

"Sparx?"

"You must rest Nova," said Gibson in a slightly edgy tone. Sparx still remained silent but kept his eyes glued to her. It was like he was ready to pounce if she freaked out or something. The back of her neck stung, just thinking about it.

That's when she remembered.

"Mandarin! The training! I tho-"

As she said this, she noticed Sparx step forward but Gibson was quicker.

"It was nothing, Nova," he said a little too quickly. "I can guarantee you there is nothing to worry about. Right now I would suggest you get some sleep. You'll need it for the day ahead."

Sparx lowered his eyebrows and stepped back, still as quiet as a mouse, though Nova could tell there was some sort of anger he was trying to contain. He bit his lip and folded his arms tightly, clenching his fists and breathing heavily through his nose. He was like a volcano ready to explode.

Gibson seemed to be taking as much note of this as Nova. By the look on his face, Nova could tell that he was preparing to have a serious conversation with the red simian.

She didn't predict wrong.

"I think it would be best if Sparx and I left you alone to sleep," murmured Gibson sternly, preparing to leave the med bay. Sparx didn't budge. He kept his eyes focused on Nova, his face shifting from angry to concerned.

"Sparx, she needs to sleep. We can't disturb her." Gibson sounded like he was almost boiling too as he took Sparx by and arm and almost dragged him out of the room. Sparx took one last moment to glance at Nova anxiously before Gibson slammed the door, leaving Nova on her own.

She shivered even though the blankets were keeping her warm. Outside, she could hear Sparx and Gibson talking over her. She curled up in a ball, not sure to feel scared about Mandarin or the fact that she felt that the two male simians were fighting over her.

"I know you feel guilty Sparx, but you can't keep watching over her all the time. She needs her own company every once in a while."

Sparx's sarcastic laugh was enough to seep into the med bay and fill it. "Yeah, you know I feel guilty, don't ya Brainstrain! Wanna share something else we already know? Like . . . I'M THE REASON BEHIND THIS?!"

"Sparx, that's enough!" Gibson snapped. "You sound like a child holding a grudge because they got into trouble with their parents!"

"Well that's exactly how I feel! Like some stupid little kid who got into some serious trouble because they did something STUPID!"

"You did nothing stupid! You did what you had to do! Anyone else would have done the same."

"Ohh, is that so? Then how come when YOU had the oppurtinity to grab that ice crystal, you didn't do it? Huh?"

For a moment there was silence. Nova tensed up, not sure what was coming next. She held her breath and then sighed . . .

And then Sparx exploded.

"HOW COME YOU DIDN'T GRAB THE MONKEY DOODLIN' ICE CRYSTAL WHEN YOU HAD THE CHANCE?!" Nova had never heard Sparx sound so angry. His voice was so loud, so ferocious, it shook the med bay door. Nova cringed at the shock of it all and, ignoring the pain she was in, pulled the blanket over her head and curled into the tightest ball she could manage.

"ANSWER ME, GIBSON!" Sparx roared.

Nova heard what sounded like thumping and Gibson letting out a monkey yelp. "Sparx, calm down! This anger is getting us nowhere!"

"So you're Antauri now? Yeah, now that I think of it, he probably wouldn't have grabbed the ice crystal either. He probably would have 'sensed the Skeleton King's presence' in it too, hmm?"

"Sparx . . . calm down."

"I'm calm alright! You know what? I think I'm gonna go on a joy ride, I'm so happy!"

As Sparx ranted, the sound of stomping could be heard but not hard enough to overwhelm the sound of Gibson running to stop him. "It wasn't your fault, Sparx! Please stop blaming yourself!"

"Well if it's not my fault then who's fault is it?" Sparx demanded. "C'mon, Gibson. You're so smart, you'll SURELY be able to answer THAT question."

"It's simple, Sparx. It was no one's fault."

Another horribly sarcastic laugh filled the air. "No one's fault? Then who's was it?" Sparx paused before snapping yet again. "You know what? Next time you almost blow up your lab with one of your crazy experiments, we'll just say it's no one's fault! How about that?"

"Sparx, you're not going to help anyone by ranting. Especially Nova. She's going through enough stress as it it . . ."

"Oh yeah, Nova! Don't remind me! THAT I ALMOST KILLED HER! AND NOW SHE THINKS I'M MANDARIN!"

Nova gasped in shock. That hallucination! She had thought it was Mandarin trying to kill her all along!

It all made sense now . . . The horror of the whole thing began to strike her harder than the pain in her neck. Tears began streaming down her cheek as she realized . . .

She was the reason why Sparx was so angsty.

The more she thought about it, the more it began to add up.

Anything that Sparx blamed himself for, she was the main reason behind it.

He lost _her _to that wormhole . . .

He attacked _her _and tore _her _cicuitury apart . . .

And now this.

_She _called him Mandarin.

It was _her_, not Sparx.

Nova shivered even more as Sparx and Gibson continued to fight.

"Sparx, she didn't think you were Mandain . . ."

"You heard her, Gibson! You heard loud and clear while you were sticking that tranquilizer in her neck that she called me Mandarin!"

"It was all a hallucination! She was in a panic!"

"And she was panicked because of _**ME**_!"

A massive bang walloped against and med door in the form of Sparx's fist, making Nova really jerk, despite the pain she was in. Her face crumpled, just thinking about it. A weak rasp seeped out of her mouth, a few tears dripping in. Nova swallowed them back, unable to bear what she had just heard.

Sparx had really exploded now. And he had just blown away Gibson with his anger.

"Fine," the blue simian spat when he finally managed it. "I'll just leave you to it."

Finally, the sound of Gibson sauntering away was heard. Next thing, a scraping sound on the med bay door filled the room.

Nova just lay there, shaking like a leaf, hunching up underneath the blanket. It was dark, hot and awfully painful but she didn't really care. She tried to stay perfectly still (apart from the trembling) . . . even when she heard the med bay door open.

Nova scrunched up her eyes and held her breath, the tears still trickling down. She heard footsteps . . . they were growing louder, coming closer towards her. She tried not to shudder as they grew even louder and eventually stopped.

She waited . . .

There was silence . . .

She opened her mouth to get a tiny bit of air . . .

Another teardrop splashed down . . .

"Nova?"

Her breath was now shaking as much as her body.

She slowly opened her eyes . . .

A piece of the blanket lifted up to reveal Sparx's face. It looked more concerned than ever.

Nova didn't respond, just stared at her with her teary pink eyes. Finally she cracked, not quite bursting into tears, but more gently breaking down into them.

"Nova . . ." Sparx wasted no time in jumping onto the med table and scooping her up, blanket and all before he began cradling her, stroking the back of her head (taking great cake to avoid her sore neck). Throughout this, no one spoke a word. Nova didn't budge, even when Sparx burried his face into her head, his own tears streaming down his cheeks.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

**And I'm gonna leave it at that! Hope you liked it!**

**SoLow: *reading through chap* Oh! Hold on a sec! I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE, GILAW!**

**Me: Huh? O.O**

**SoLow: You know with the blaming, and the rant over the ice stuff and the fact that SPARX BARELY SAYS ANYTHING! I should have known there was a reason why you were ranting you wanted revenge!**

**Me: *reading through chap* Ohhh, right. WELL NO REFERENCES INTENDED, GUYS!**

**SoLow: *facedesk***

**Please Read and Review and check out my other stories and until next time- Hey it's not my fault I had to write my chappie like this! Some things are me- OH SPARKY, I REALLY NEED TO UPDATE THAT STORY! D:**


	4. Chapter 4

**Heeeeeeey! I bet you weren't expecting an update to come THIS fast! :D**

**SoLow: Oh no . . .**

**KFee: She's actually updating in less than a month!**

**SoLow: Make that less than a week!**

**KFee: So that means . . .**

**SoLow: HIDE THE REDBULL! AND THE SUGAR! AND MAKE SURE SHE DOESN'T GET TO THE SHIPPING POINT WHERE SHE STARTS BASHING ANIMATED PAIRINGS SHE DOESN'T LIKE!**

**Me: I don't bash pairings, why would I do that?**

**SoLow: Wait, you don't bash your most hated animated pairings anymore?**

**Me: No, I'm WAY over that!**

**SoLow: Oh good cause that would make you-**

**Me: I burn the living sparky out of them! :D**

**SoLow: Wait, WHAT?!**

**Me: *pulls out RedBull and a ton of matches* TIME TO DIIIIIIIIIIE!**

**Chapter 4**

**I'm Coming For You**

Nova didn't respond. Even if she could, she wouldn't know how. She just couldn't sum up what just happened.

First Sparx wouldn't say anything to her, then he raged like never before in front of Gibson and now he was . . . cradling her in his arms and crying?

He was actually _crying._

Out of all the outcomes that could have happened after this fit, Sparx was the last monkey on the planet Nova expected to see cry. He would hold a grudge or make angry comments or maybe just sit there, fuming. But this time he was actually crying, his tears splashing onto Nova's helmet.

She looked up and could tell that neither of them knew how he was feeling. His face was full of rage yet the tears kept falling from his scrunched up eyes, his shaky arms tightening their grip around Nova's body.

"Sparx . . ." Nova couldn't bear to see him so emotional. She reached up and tenderly touched his cheek, brushing away the tears with her fingers. Sparx sighed, his face relaxing a little, even tinting a slight smile. He gently pushed Nova's head down and kissed the top of her helmet, showing her that he still cared.

Nova sniffed as he pulled away, squeezing her as tight as he could manage.

"I'm sorry," he whispered again.

"I know," Nova murmured. She looked back up at him. "You're crying."

Sparx quickly wiped his tears. "D- don't worry about it."

But Nova couldn't help feeling more concerned than ever. "It's not your fault, Sparx."

"I know."

She brought her hand down from his cheek to the fur on his chest and began running her fingers through it, nuzzling her cheek against that smooth fur.

"_I'm_ sorry," Nova sighed.

Sparx loosened his grip on her and stared at her in disbelief. "Nova, what are you saying?"

"The whole war thing . . . it's _my _fault."

The red simian just gaped at her, gobsmacked that she would suggest such a thing. He took a moment to take in what Nova had just said . . . then quickly shook his head. "Nova, please don't start blaming yourself."

_"No, go on. We'd all love to hear more about you, Nova. Like what a waste of space you are?"_

Nova froze. "No . . ."

_"Refusing to share more, hmm? Why doesn't that surprise me?"_

She shook her head frantically. "No! Please! Not again!"

"Nova?" Sparx took hold of her head in his hands. "Nova! What's wrong?"

_"I'll tell you what's wrong . . . You're just a sad helpless little coward, tagging along, tearing your team apart . . ."_

"That's not true!"

"What's going on?" Sparx demanded, not sure whether to feel scared or confused or both as Nova began to freak out in his arms. He was really squeezing her head now, shaking it desperatly in an attempt to knock some sense into her. "Nova, look at me! Look at me!"

_"Why bother? After all he's the one who tried to kill you . . ."_

"THAT'S NOT THE SAME!"

She was so panic stricken that she thrust herself out of Sparx's arms and banged onto the floor, trying to catch her frantic breath between screams of terror.

"NOVA!" Sparx jumped down and tried to grab her but it was pointless. Glancing between her and the med bay door, he then reluctantly but frantically raced out of the room. "GIBSON! SHE'S FREAKING OUT AGAIN!"

_"And now he just leaves you there. I always knew he never really cared . . ."_

"No!" Nova cried. "He's just trying to help me! They're all trying to help me!"

_"They never tried to help you! Did they bother to help you when you were lost in that wormhole? I don't think so? Did you care when you were captured by that group . . . that 'Wild Five' I think it was? DID THEY BUDGE WHEN SPRX 77 HELD YOU HOSTAGE IN HIS OWN ELECTRICITY?"_

"STOOOOP! YOU'RE LYING, MANDARIN!" Nova screeched.

_"Me? Lying? I think I'm being perfectly honest! Think about it! They never cared for you back then. And now you're just tearing the team apart. You heard them arguing over YOU. YOU were the one who caused this conflict between your two teammates. And you're only making it worse . . ."_

"MANDARIN SHUT UP!"

_"SILENCE! You think you're brave back chatting at me like that? It only makes you weaker, less brave . . . a COWARD!"_

"I'm not a coward!"

_"Well admit it then! Even someone braver than you would have to admit that they're a coward every once in a while!"_

"BUT I'M NOT A COWARD!" Nova screamed as loud as she could manage. "I'M A WARRIOR!"

_"A warrior? HA! And you say that **I'm **lying! You're just as pathetic as you were when we were a team! I should have killed you when I had the chance!"_

_"Mandarin, please!"_

_"Please right back at you! I'm sick of your weak little pleas and cries. I've had enough! I think it's time I shut you up!"_

Nova blocked her ears, trying to get the ringing sound of Mandarin's voice out of her ears. "No! DON'T START! DON'T DO IT!"

_"Oh I will do it, dear Nova. I'm coming for you . . ."_

She shook her head frantically. "No . . . NOOO!"

_"Oh yes. And as soon as I find you, I'm gonna kill you. Like I longed to those many years ago. I''ve been waiting to kill you for a long time. And it'll feel good. Not for you maybe but for me . . . Oh yes. I think I'll enjoy killing you."_

"NOOOOO-"

Suddenly the pain in the back of Nova's neck felt stronger, more sharper, like someone had just stabbed it. Nova screeched in agony, her neck throbbing. Next thing, that all-too familiar wooziness began to kick in again . . .

_"I'm coming for you, COWARD!"_

Her arms collapsed. But someone grabbed her by the head before she could knock her jaw. Next thing, she felt Sparx roll her over onto his lap. Ahead of him, she could just make out Gibson backing away . . . with another tranquilizer in his hand. A weak moan escaped her lips. She fought to keep her eyes open.

"That a girl, Nova," Sparx whispered gently as her eyes felt heavier. "That's it . . ."

Nova could barely move. Her body felt like it weighed a ton- no, a thousand of them. She only just managed to open her mouth and rasp out "Mandarin's gonna kill me."

"He's not gonna kill you, Nova," Sparx insisted.

_"I wouldn't be so sure about that . . ."_

Nova somehow found the leftover strength to heave her heavy arm up and clutch Sparx's shoulder.

"Help me . . ."

And she passed out.

"He's not gonna kill you, Nova! Do you hear me?" Sparx shook her in some hope of getting some sort of an answer from her unconcious body. "I'm not gonna let Mandarin kill you!"

"Well . . ." sighed Gibson. "I think we've found the answer to Nova's nightmares and hallucinations. The problem is . . . how to we find the solution to get rid of them?" He raised the tranquilizer. "I only have so many of these. I must save them for the war ahead. And if I overdose Nova with them, it'll only make things worse."

Sparx lowered his eyebrows, a determined look spreading across his face. "I got a solution for ya!"

"What is it, Sparx?" asked Gibson.

"We find Mandarin Bone Bag and kill him ourselves!"

**SoLow: *slaps her own face* WHAT IS WITH YOU AND KILLING CHARACTERS IN YOUR FICS?**

**Me: What? Everyone loves a good character death! Why do you think people love Final Destination and Saw so much?**

**KFee: Because of the good storylines?**

**Me: Well I've got those in my fics too :P**

**SoLow and KFee: *facedesk***

**Please Read and Review and check out my other stories and until next time- Saw, hmmm? That's actually not a bad idea . . . *evil grin* Hey SoLow, I wanna play a game ;D**


	5. Chapter 5

**WAZZUP MY-**

**SoLow: FavouritepeopleGiLaw'sinthehouse, NOW CAN WE JUST GET THIS DONE?**

**Me: What the- SoLow are you impersonating me?**

**SoLow: N-**

**Me: IF YOU'RE GONNA IMPERSONATE SOMEONE THEN CAN YOU AT LEAST DO IT RIGHT?**

**SoLow: But I wasn't-**

**Me: *In SoLow's voice* I'm SoLow and I'm a little ***** who wet the the bet until I was fifteen!**

**SoLow: O.O**

**KFee: O.O**

**NConn: O.O**

**SBee: O.O**

**Me: *death glare***

**SoLow: Okay, that was- that was pretty good . . .**

**Me: If you think THAT impersonation was good, just wait till the end of this chappie *evil chuckle***

**Chapter 5**

**Wise and Shocking Words**

Nova was so tired she could barely move. She tried to move her arms but they wouldn't budge. Her eyes seemed to be the only part of her body that were functioning properly if they were functioning at all.

Where was she now?

She blinked, her pink eyes swivelling around to take in her surroundings. She was in her bedroom.

How did she end in here?

Oh yeah. She had another hallucination, so bad that Gibson had to knock her out with another tranquiliser.

Great.

Nova somehow managed to tilt her head over and something soft and furry brushed against her face. Nova perked up, wondering if it was Sparx lying next to her, taking care of her. She sat up and was instantly met with the disappointment of seeing one of her old soft toys laying there.

Where _was _Sparx?

Was he avoiding her again?

Nova sighed and flopped back down. Next thing, her door began to glow fuschia and Antauri phased through, sitting cross legged in midair as always.

"I see you're finally awake."

"Tell me something I don't know," Nova murmured.

"Gibson told me everything," the silver monkey said.

The yellow simian groaned. "Great," she muttered sarcastically. "Now you know too."

"You needn't be ashamed, Nova," said Antauri wisely. "Your hallucinations mean nothing. They may fill you with fear but they're not enough to break through to the true warrior inside. Even Mandarin knows that."

Nova stared at him. "How do you know Mandarin-" She stopped and pulled a face. "You acessed my mind directly, didn't you?"

"It was for the best," said Antauri. "Gibson told me he had trouble finding answers so I had to do something."

Nova exhaled loudly through her nose, knowing that Antauri was always right. "So now that you know that Mandarin's threatning me what are we gonna do about this?"

"I'm afraid that's a question even I can't answer yet," Antauri sighed yet. "Gibson's working a solution. For now you must get some rest and try not to think about it. You musn't panic. That's exactly what Mandarin wants you to do. And he'll take advantage of the situation you're in if we're not careful."

She sighed loudly again. "So you expect me to laze around and do nothing until we finally come up with a solution."

"You must do what keeps you safe."

Nova pulled another face. "Okay . . ."

Antauri nodded in satisfaction and turned to leave. As he did so, Nova climbed out of the bed and called after him "Can you do me a favour?"

The silver simian turned around, interested. "Why certainly."

She winced slightly. "Don't tell Chiro about this, okay? You know about me hallucinating and freaking out during training and all. I know he knows about the nightmares but just don't tell him about the hallucinations."

"Of course. But you must tell him yourself. He will find out eventually."

_'Why are you always right?'_

"And . . ." Nova tensed up a little. "Do you think you could get Sparx for me?"

For a moment she thought she saw Antauri frown slightly. But she couldn't tell as Antauri always had that same neutral expression on his face. He simply nodded, saying the words "Certainly" before floating through the door out of the room leaving Nova on her own.

Not sure what to do, she wandered around the room a little, brushing a soft toy with her foot, considering Antauri's words. She was so deep in thought that she nearly jumped when she heard her bedroom door open.

Sparx just stood there, staring at her, in just as much thought as she was. Nova glanced back at him, concerned.

"Hi."

"Hi," he murmured.

Something was wrong. He still didn't approach her like he normally would.

"You okay?" Nova asked, stepping up to him.

"Yeah I'm fine," Sparx replied, but he was avoiding eye contact with her. "H- how do you feel?"

"Better."

"That's good."

The two simians just stood there in awkward silence, not sure what to do. Nova, suddenly desperate to break through to him, wrapped her arms around him and burried her face into his shoulder.

"Hey." Sparx looked stunned but returned the hug anyway. "You alright?"

"I just thought you needed it," Nova murmured.

"Well . . . thanks," whispered Sparx.

Nova smiled ever so slightly and broke the hug. "_You _alright, Sparx?"

He looked down at his feet and sighed. "I . . . I just feel guilty you know? I feel like I'm the one behind all this. I mean every time you freaked out, I was always around."

"Sparx, don't start. It was nothing to do with you!" Nova pleaded. "I mean how many times do I have to keep on saying that?"

"I know!" Sparx snapped irritably. "But do you know how it feels when YOU'RE the one who started a war?"

"Sparx, we're fully functioning robot monkeys, not broken records!"

He scrunched up his eyes in frustration. "I know!" He pulled away from her slightly. "Nova. . . I think it would be best if I just left you alone."

The red simian might as well punched Nova in the stomach as she stumbled backwards in shock. "Wh- what?!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it's just I don't like seeing you like this!" Sparx exclaimed, backing away from her. "And I don't wanna do anything that might hurt you!"

_'Sparx, you're hurting me right now!" _her mind screamed.

"Nova . . ." Sparx looked like he was crumbling inside too. "You brought me back when you said you loved me too much to lose me. And I feel the same for you." He took a deep breath before saying "That's why I need to leave you alone."

With that, he turned his back on her and stomped away. Nova just stood there, trying not to break down. Scarred by Sparx's words, she thrust herself against the wall and collapsed in heartbroken despair.

**SoLow: HA! YE-**

**Me: *In SoLow's voice* OMG I'M SO GONNA CELEBRATE CAUSE I'M A ***** WHO JUST LOVES TO TAKE THE PISS OUTTA MY STUPID LITTLE SISTER WHO'S A FOOT TALLER THAN ME!**

**SoLow: Shut up, GiLaw!**

**Me: *In high-pitched voice* OH SHUT UP GILAW, YOU KNOW I DON'T LIKE IT WHEN YOU TROLL ME!**

**SoLow: I don't even sound anything like that!**

**Me: *Insert Jibberish Here***

**SoLow: Seriously GiLaw, knock it off!**

**Me: *Insert More Jibberish Here* . . . I HATE SPOVA! Yeah, that's you. *More Jibberish***

**SoLow: I don't even sound anything like that!**

**Me: NGYAAAAAAAAA-**

**SoLow: OKAY, STOP!**

**Me: Okay, I'll leave you be for now. But next time- *death glare* I'LL IMPERSONATE COREY FELDMAN'S SINGING!**

**SoLow: Oh God, NO!**

**Please Read and Review and check out my other stories and until next time- wait a sec . . . WHAT DID I JUST SAY I'D DO?!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Notice me Senpai! PLEASE NOTICE ME SENPAI! *Screaming* _PLEASE NOTICE ME SENPAAAAAAAAAI-_**

**SoLow: GiLaw, what are you doing?**

**Me: Trying to get the Senpai to notice me! Especially since my last few fics haven't been getting much attention lately . . .**

**SoLow: THAT'S BECAUSE YOU ALWAYS WRITE THE SAME THING!**

**KFee: Wait, does she even know what "Senpai" means?**

**NConn: No. She always has to go to Know Your Meme to see the true meaning of a meme.**

**KFee: Oh.**

**NConn: And that's nothing. She does the same with cartoon characters on Wiki.**

**GiLaw: NOTICE ME, SENPAI! NOTICE NEW CHAPTER! NOTICE CUTENESS AND TENSION COMING UP!**

**SoLow: Someone please explain the meaning of this to her at the end of this chapter.**

**Chapter 6**

**We Gotta Kill Him**

Sparx stomped into his bedroom, slamming the door behind him and slamming his head against the wall even harder.

What had he just done?

Did he . . . _break up _with Nova?

The girl of his dreams?

No. He refused to believe it. He'd just said that he needed to leave her alone for a while in hope of stopping her hallucinations.

Monkey Doodle, that sounded just like dumping her! He clutched his head in frustration.

Why was everything always his fault?

He was so worked up in his thoughts, he nearly had a heart attack when he heard his door open and Gibson step in. Without giving the scientist a chance to open his mouth, Sparx pounced at him and grabbed him desperatly by the shoulders.

"We gotta do it, Gibson! We gotta kill him NOW!"

"Sparx, I already told you, we cannot destroy Mandarin!" Gibson replied, shaking his shoulders free from Sparx's grip. "He's our former teammate and brother! There is a way to help Nova without killing him!"

"Oh is there?" Sparx sneered sarcastically. "Well would you be kind enough to tell me? I'm literally dying to find out!"

"Sparx, be patient!" snapped Gibson. "I haven't come to a conclusion yet but I'm working on it. Just give me time. There must be a diagnosis of some sort!"

"Well guess what Brainstrain! I've already discovered the "diagnosis" or whatever you called it! It's called _mind control_! And since I'm so smart, I'll _simplify _it for you," Sparx sneered. "Mandarin's causing these hallucinations! That's why Nova's always freaking out THAT'S WHY WE GOTTA KILL HIM!"

Gibson tightened his face. Unlike Sparx, he was actually doing well in hiding his frustration and fury.

"This is no time for conspiracy theories, Sparx. Speaking of Nova, what exactly did you say to her?" he asked.

"Huh?"

"What did you say to Nova several minutes ago? I saw her lying by her door while I was entering your room."

Sparx gave him a dirty look. "Then why didn't you talk to her?!"

"Because I knew that if I did, I would only make matters worse!" Gibson exclaimed.

Sparx groaned in frustration.

"What did you say to her, Sparx?" Gibson demanded.

The red simian scrunched up his eyes and turned his back on the blue one. "I just told her that it would be best if she stayed away from me . . . If Mandarin's forcing these hallucinations on Nova, he's doing them every time I get near her. Either than or she has them every time I try to comfort her," he sighed. "I just wanna stop her from freaking out before she hurts herself . . ."

Gibson stepped forward and put a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder. "We'll find a way, Sparx. Don't worry."

Sparx nodded sadly and glanced down at his feet. Yeah, maybe there just might be a way . . .

The piercing scream that filled the Robot however was enough to make him change his mind instantly and he wasted no time in whipping the door open to see what Nova was freaking out over this time.

She was racing through the corridor at full speed, so fast that Gibson had to yank Sparx back into his room to save him from being run over. Almost immediately, Sparx broke free from his comerade's grip and sprinted after her. "Nova, stop!"

"No!" she shrieked. "Get away from me, Mandarin!"

Her words caused him to skid to a halt and gape at her in shock. But Gibson was just as quick to reassure her.

"It's not you, Sparx."

He nodded quickly and continued to sprint after her. "Nova, what's he doing to you?!"

She glanced back but only for a brief second. Whatever she was hallucinating, it was clearly freaking her out, as she let out another yelp and sprinted even faster. Sparx increased his speed, panting hard from fatigue and anxiety. "Nova, it's me!"

"MANDARIN NOOOO!"

She was really running at full speed now- and straight for the wall ahead. Sparx leapt onto all fours in hope of catching up with her but it was no use. She was only a few metres away from the wall now . . .

"NOVAAAAA!"

It was too late. She scrunched up her eyes, lowered her head and slammed head first into the wall. A smashing crashing shattering sound filled the air as she bounced back onto her feet, obviously in shock. She shook her head in confusion and stumbled over tipsily and probably would have fallen over if Sparx hadn't grabbed her in time.

She shrieked as soon as she felt him grab her but one "It's okay, I gotcha" from him was enough to make her come to her senses and cling onto him for support, both physical and mental.

"What did he do to you?" he insisted, eyeing her cracked helmet.

"He . . . He-" Nova was too shaken even to cry. "He . . .He was chasing me . . . He had all his weapons out and . . . I . . . I couldn't do anything, I couldn't fight back. I just ran and then he was after me and every time I looked back he was right behind me so I just kept running and I could see the exit right in front of me, but when I jumped, I-"

"Yeah yeah yeah," Sparx interrupted quickly, neither of them wanting to finish off her sentence. "It's fine now."

"Sparx . . ." Nova whimpered. She hesitated before finally admitting in a shaky voice "Sparx, I'm really scared. What if Mandarin finds me?"

"He's not gonna find you." Sparx embraced her, taking great care not to touch her head, that cracked helmet was really bugging him. "You hear me? I'm not gonna let him catch you, you got that?"

She nodded, her breath shaking, her eyes scrunching up. "My head hurts."

"Don't think about it," he whispered. As he cradled her, he turned to face Gibson who had been watching them from a distance, his face full of concern.

"Okay Brainstrain," he muttered in a threatning tone. "I don't care what you say. If Mandarin so much as lays a paw on her, I'm gonna tear him apart before he can beg for mercy."

**SoLow: Aaaand it's the same old crap again. Way to go, GiLaw -_-**

**Me: *Shaking butt* NOTICE ME, SENPAAAAAAAAAAI!**

**KFee: *facepalm* You do realize that "Notice me Senpai" means that you want someone older than you to like you, right?**

**Me: Someone older than you to like you?**

**KFee: Yup.**

**Me: Oh really . . .? *puts on creepy pedo face***

**SoLow: GiLaw . . . D:**

**Me: WELL THEN A FANGIRL'S GOTTA DO WHAT A FANGIRL'S GOTTA GO! *puts on angel wings* NOTICE ME SENPAI! PLEASE NOTICE ME SENPAI!**

**KFee: Me and my big mouth!**

**Please Read and Review and check out my other stories and until next time- you know what I'm gonna say, don't you?**

**HE'S MINE, FANGIRLS!**

**BWAAAAAAAAAH, I'M SO MEAN! XD**

**(BTW, I'll give a prize to whoever can guess where I got the idea for angel wings!)**


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